(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to weft-knit textile articles and, more particularly, to a double face, weft-knit textile garment having a first face having a printed portion; and a second face having a printed portion, wherein the fabric density of the fabric forming the garment is sufficient to substantially prevent grin through from at least one printed portion to the opposite face.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Weft-knit fabrics are commonly used for a wide variety of purposes ranging from signage to apparel. Such fabrics are generally desirable because they are durable and easy to manufacture. They are also desirable because they can be manipulated through various knitting techniques. In terms of apparel, for example, they are often designed with increased wicking properties or increased breathability, or for increased comfort.
To achieve such objectives, weft-knit fabrics for apparel usually have two distinct sides. The side of the fabric for wearing against the body, or the inner side, may have a certain knit or may be knitted from a certain thread to alter the properties of the fabric. Athletic apparel, by way of example, may be knitted to maximize comfort, breathability, or wicking properties of the inner side of the fabric. Typically, because of knitting, cost, or function, the side opposite the inner side of the fabric, or the outer side, is not the same as the inner side. Because of these differences, weft-knit fabric is not typically used to make reversible garments.
Reversible garments can be desirable for any number of reasons, such as, for example, for color coordination of outfits; for providing various camouflage patterns; for providing optional high-visibility clothing; or for use in athletic competitions.
For example, a reversible garment, reversible between two distinct camouflage patterns, may be desirable for a soldier with limited carrying capacity. The solider may be limited to the single pattern on their person, when in fact, additional patterns may be beneficial. Using a reversible garment, the soldier could change between two patterns as needed, for example, the soldier could change between one pattern that provides maximum concealment in urban environments and another pattern that provides maximum concealment in forests, thereby increasing safety. In addition, reversible garments may be desirable for their ability to increase the wearer's visibility rather than decrease it.
Police and traffic officers, for example, commonly wear dark clothing during the day, which allows them to stand out from the general population. At night however such dark clothing becomes a safety hazard, particularly for officers who are on bicycles or who work around motor vehicles, because it decreases their ability to be seen. At night time, a more reflective or visible uniform is desirable. Using a reversible garment, officers could change uniforms as needed, for example, the officer on bicycle patrol could choose the dark side of a reversible uniform during the day, then switch to the more reflective side at night, thereby increasing job safety. Reversible garments may also be desirable in the athletic industry or for athletic competitions.
For most organized team sports, or team sporting events, members of one team have one colored jersey and members of the other team have another colored jersey. These different colored jerseys allow both players and spectators to differentiate between team members. At pickup sporting events, however, it is rare that participants with be aware of what other players will be wearing prior to the event, so any coordination of jersey color is difficult. Similarly, for some sporting events, such as pickup or celebrity basketball or soccer games for example, there may be frequent short games with players switching back and forth between teams. In such situations, players often switch jerseys, which may be undesirable because it increases the potential for transmission of blood, sweat, and bacteria. Alternatively, a player may be required to have two separate jerseys, one for each team, which is also undesirable because it necessitates having another jersey and keeping up with that other jersey during the game. By using a reversible jersey having, for example, a dark color and a light color, players could easily switch back and forth between teams.
Others have tried to developed reversible knit fabrics for use in various applications. For example, others have made reversible fabrics for use in textile articles by sandwiching two separate fabrics together or by knitting fabrics with different colored threads. Similarly, others have made reversible fabrics for textile articles out of simplex using warp knitting. Such fabrics are generally undesirable because of their cost or weight or because of the specificity in the manufacturing process. For various other reasons, these prior attempts have had various additional shortcomings.
Thus, there remains a need for a new and improved weft-knit textile garment which has a first face having a printed portion; and a second face having a printed portion, wherein the fabric density of the fabric forming the garment is sufficient to substantially prevent grin through from at least one printed portion to the opposite face while, at the same time, includes a plurality of openings are formed in both faces for breathability.